The Cleveland Browns quarterback carousel never stops spinning.
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Heading into 2026, Cleveland has Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel in the room. That's the depth chart. That's the debate. And according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, that's the last stand for Watson.
On national TV, Smith didn't sugarcoat it.
"If you can't win the starting job in Cleveland this year, you need to retire," he said. "It's over for you."
That is not subtle.
Watson has played just 19 games since signing his fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal in 2022. Two Achilles tears. One in-season. One the following offseason. An entire lost year. The Browns have paid superstar money for backup-level availability.
"My god, how awful can you be? There's nowhere to go but up. ... If you can't win the starting job in Cleveland this year, you need to retire."@stephenasmith SOUNDS OFF on Deshaun Watson 👀 pic.twitter.com/64ufxmY37w
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 26, 2026
Meanwhile, Sanders threw for 1,400 yards last season with seven touchdowns and 10 picks. Gabriel posted seven touchdowns to two interceptions before injury cost him the job. Neither has locked down the position. Neither is proven. But both are young. Both are ascending.
General manager Andrew Berry insists no decision has been made. Competition is coming. New head coach Todd Monken has expressed intrigue about Watson, who is reportedly fully healthy.
But here's the truth: If Watson cannot beat out two unproven quarterbacks after everything invested in him, the conversation shifts from comeback to closure.
And the Browns are tired of waiting.
